My fiance is positive and I am negative. We are getting married later this year. We both want to have children and I would like to know what our options are. I've heard of a procedure called "sperm washing". How effective is this procedure and where would I go to get more information? This is very important to both me and my fiance. Please help give us some insight. Thank you for your time.

Response from Dr. Remien

I know this is a topic of interest to many couples in your situation. "Sperm washing" is a technique that has been shown to be very effective when conducted under proper conditions. It is essentially a technique of spinning out sperm so that you are left with a high concentration of sperm, without the rest of the seminal fluid (where most of the HIV exists). This can then be inserted in the woman to try to achieve pregnancy. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with any specific doctors or locations that are readily offering this technology. But my understanding is that it is a technology that is used for a variety of reasons, such as when the male has a "low sperm count" and therefore a couple has trouble getting pregnant. You would need to speak to your own doctor and ask about specialists in your area that can discuss the issue with you.

Please see my responses to other questions on this topic at One or both of us are Positive and we want to have a baby and specifically look at Assisted Pregnancies

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